People

Samson Adelani (he/him, email) is a third year Ph.D. student in the Materials Science and Engineering Program. He did his undergraduate study in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria, where he studied the effect of pre-weld heat treatment on the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of artificially aged 8011A aluminum alloy. Moreso, he previously worked with the Advanced Polymer Composite Lab at FUTA where his research focused on the use of agro-waste in the development of polymer composites for novel applications. His current research focuses on the 3D printing of Engineered Living Materials (ELMS). In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer, bicycling, and playing saxophone. He also loves watching soccer games particularly (premier league) on weekends.

Olivia Pear (she/her, email) is a second year Ph.D. student in the Materials Science and Engineering Program. She received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from UC Berkeley in 2017. Prior to becoming a graduate student, Olivia worked in industry designing and synthesizing biopolymer hydrogels to improve the material properties of sustainable food products. Outside of work, she enjoys running, cooking, and being a beginner in many sports (climbing, skiing, pickleball, to name a few).

Kiera Croland (she/her, email) is a third year Ph.D. student in the Chemical Engineering Department and an NSF GRFP fellow. She received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University in 2022. Kiera’s undergraduate research focused on the characterization of cell-material interactions between polymer-peptide hydrogels and human mesenchymal stem cells using Multiple Particle Tracking microrheology. Outside of her graduate studies, she enjoys running, hiking, and spending time with her cat, Archy. 

Jenna Stanislaw (she/her, email) is a first-year PhD student in the Biological Engineering program. She received her B.S. in Biology from Carnegie Mellon University in 2022. Between completing her Bachelors and coming to CU, she lived in Germany, where she computationally designed protein biosensors for peptide detection. In her current research, Jenna is designing a living and wearable wildfire sensor, and she is co-advised between the Huli Materials Lab and the CMBM-GEM Lab, led by Professor Cresten Mansfeldt. In her free time, Jenna enjoys traveling and discovering new places on foot, drawing, and doing her best to start a garden.